Bittersweet Memories
by Kali1
Summary: Alt. Universe: Rogue is forced to confront her distant past, when an untimely letter arrives for her from her old home town.
1. Default Chapter

Bittersweet Memories 

_Part 1_

_By Kali_

Author's Forward: This is an alternate universe ficcie. Everything in italics are thoughts. Except the letter, which is also in italics. As always, feedback is greatly appreciated. 

"Rogue,... I hate to be the one to give you this," Henry McCoy said somberly, holding a pale blue envelope. 

"Hank? What is it? Ya look positively peaked." Rogue inquired. She was relaxing on her bed, reading a copy of the latest Mary Higgins Clark novel. _Why is it, there is always some earth shaking emergency right when Ah get to the juicy part? _

"This was mailed to the Avengers Mansion. Apparently, the sender figured they'd know how to contact you." 

"Oh," Rogue opened the letter fearfully. There was no return address listed, just her code name in care of the Avengers address. _Oh, the irony of that. Did they open this? They must have, given how somber Beast looks. He looks as if his best friend just died........ ack.... What are ya thinking girl!_

_Fredia,_

_ I reckon I ought to write you about this. Figured none of your folk's family will know how to reach you. But, I saw you in a news reel some time ago with the Avengers. At least I think it was you. I don't know how common skunk striped hair is nowadays. Although, that Hope girl on Days of Our Lives has a skunk do too, so...... Anyhow, I figured this would be the best bet._

_ I don't know how to put this. So, I'll just come out and say it. Fredia, I'm sorry to have to inform you that your folks were killed in car wreck last week. I really don't want to give out the details. But they both passed relatively close to each other. I hope you can take comfort in that at least._

_ They held the funeral just a couple of days later. It was a lovely ceremony. Wish you could have been there._

_ I know you had problems with your folks, which is why you ran away. But, I hope you manage to come home for a spell. I mean, hell's bells, girl, they were your family, after all._

_ Well, anyhow, I'm sorry to be the bearer of bad news and all. Just figured you needed to know._

_Sincerely,_

_Becca Helmke_

"I'm so sorry, Rogue." 

"Oh, God, Hank did ya read this?" Rogue asked horrified. 

"Yes, I'm afraid I had to. They weren't sure whether the letter was safe to open or not. They figured most of your friends already knew how to contact you. Anyone who didn't.... well...." 

"Ya ain't gonna tell anyone 'bout this, are ya?" 

"Not if you don't wish me to, Rogue. But I think it would be best if you could find someone to talk this over with. Someone who can relate to your loss." 

"Ah ain't talkin' 'bout that, Sugah. Ah'm talking about mah real name!" 

"Your name? Rogue, of course I wouldn't divulge anything like that against your wishes, but....." 

"Raven and Irene were mah parents, not them. They wanted a boy. An' they nevah let me forget it. Not for one instant! Nothing Ah *evah* did satisfied them! An' finding out Ah was a 'mutie' well if that wasn't the last straw, Ah don't know what was!" 

"Rogue, perhaps it would be a good idea to talk to Wanda about this. She would be able to relate in regards to the dysfunctional family relationship involved." 

"Hank, ya know Ah see Magnus differently than most everybody else. That ah had ...... feelings for 'im. Ah don't think talkin' to Wanda will help either of us." 

"Then...... Are you sure you're ok?" 

"Peachy." 

"All right, then. If you need me, I'll be in my lab." 

After that, the Beast had left her room, quietly closing the door behind himself. 

"Ah'm just fine," Rogue whispered to herself. She clutched Cottontail to her stomach, and curled up into a fetal position. "Now if ah could only really believe that, mahself." 

"Chere, we need to talk. About the upcoming maneuvers we got planned against the Neo." 

"Now isn't a good time, Remy." 

"Something wrong, Chere?" 

"No, everything is just peachy-keen an' Ah wish people would just give me some space for fucking Christ!" 

Remy just stared at her in disbelief. His reaction cleared her mind to a degree. "Chere, I know we had our problems, but....." 

"Oh, God, Remy. Ah'm sorry, Ah didn't mean. Ah'm just a bit stressed out right now. Now, how about those plans of yours." 

"Uh, uh. Not until you tell me what's wit' you." 

"It's personal." 

"Too personal, to discuss wit' me?" 

"Yes." 

"Stormy, then?" 

"No." 

"Jean." 

"No, Remy this is mah problem. Ah'll work through it by mahself. The last thing Ah want is ta burden Jean with this." 

"Now, ya wanted ta discuss the Neo?" 

"If this be a bad time, we can discuss it later." 

"No, don't be silly, Remy. Ah ain't 'bout ta let mah personal problems affect mah leading mah team." 

**************************************************************************** 

"Rogue, mind if I come in for a bit?" Bobby Drake asked. 

"He told you, didn't he?" 

"He was worried about you." 

"How much did he tell ya?" 

"That your parents were killed. And that you seemed more worried about something else getting leaked out." 

"Did he happen ta mention what that 'something else' was?" 

"Uh, no. Said it was a secret. I tried tickling it out of him, bribing him with Twinkies, and promising to do all his chores for the next two weeks, but he wouldn't budge." 

Rogue sighed. "Well, thank heaven for small favors." 

"He felt I could relate, given my past problems with my dad." 

"Ah've met your Daddy, Bobby, 'member? Trust me, he ain't nothin' like mah folks are.... were." 

"Maybe your running away changed them? Maybe they....." 

"Missed me? Loved me? Ah'm sorry Bobby, but all they evah gave me was cruel words of belittlement. That ain't love. Not by half." 

"But you don't know that for sure. That they didn't miss you, I mean." 

"Well..... Ah don't know Bobby. Ah thought about going home so often in the past. Rehearsed in mah head, ovah and ovah again what Ah wanted ta say ta them. But, every time Ah heard their put downs of me. And Ah couldn't go through wit' it. But Ah nevah stopped wanting ta. Ah guess, ah always wanted to know why. Why they had me, if they never wanted me ta begin wit'." 

"And then..... When Ah was living with Raven and Irene, they treated me like Ah was special. For the first time in mah life, Ah felt like Ah belonged somewhere." 

"You don't want to go back now? Just in case?" 

"No." 

"Why not, Rogue? They're dead, they can't hurt you anymore." 

"Ah'm afraid that...... How can Ah be sure this ain't some ruse concocted by the Friends of Humanity ta nail me? For all Ah know this 'Becca Helmke' coulda contacted them after she saw me on the news." 

"I could go as backup, just in case? Trust me Rogue, if you don't, you'll always wonder about it... about them. If you wait to long, any keepsakes they might have kept of you might be disposed of by then." 

"Fine. Lets just get this ovah wit', okay?" 

Disclaimer: All X-characters belong to Marvel Comics. This fan-fiction is meant as pure, harmless fun and as such no profit is being made from it. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Bittersweet Memories**

**part 2**

_By Kali_

"Bobby, did ya remember to bring those Little Debbie Marshmallow pies?" 

"Yep!" 

"Where are they?" 

"In the bag with the Dr. Pepper and the A&W." 

"Oh. Okay," Rogue responded, grinning at him. "Ah just have a little attack of the munchies." 

She reached into the bag for them, and much to her horror, felt that the box the pies were in, was sopping wet. 

"Ewwwwwwwww!" 

"What's wrong?" 

"One of the soda cans leaked. Damn it all!" 

"It's okay, Rogue. The pies are in plastic wrappers." 

"Ah know. It's just... Practically everything has gone wrong with this trip. The car battery went kaput. The cassette player chewed up my Sylvia tape. And mah favorite restaurant, this side of the Mississippi, with the most divine catfish ya would evah hope to try, was closed for remodeling. Ah'd say that so far that this trip has been an unqualified disaster!" 

"It's not that bad." 

"Isn't it? This motel doesn't have the WB! Ah'm missing Smallville!" 

"I didn't realize that you were a fan of Superman." 

"Ah'm not. Ah'm a fan of the Duke boys. That John Schneider is one attractive Pa Kent." 

"Um, Rogue, Schneider is like twice your age." 

"You mean like Emma is to you?" 

".......... Let's talk about something else, okay?" 

"Okay." 

"We'll be there tomorrow," Bobby commented tentatively, eyeing Rogue. 

"Yeah, don't remind me," Rogue shuddered with trepidation. 

"Rogue, look, I know this is hard for you. So, if you've changed your mind, we can turn back." 

"No. Ah have to do this. The sooner it's done with, the better." 

"If you're sure?" 

"Positive," Rogue said as she scooted back onto one of the motel room's two queen beds. 

"Okay, then, how about we find something else to watch for a bit?" 

"Sure," Rogue said with a forced grin as she unwrapped one of the Debbie pies. 

********************************************************************* 

"Bobby, stop." 

"What?" 

"Turn it back to the previous channel." 

"ESPN Classic?" 

"Yeah." 

"Okay." 

"My God. Ah don't believe it." Rogue whispered as tears started to form in her eyes as she stared gravely at the TV screen. 

"What?" Bobby asked confused. He glanced at the crying Rogue with concern then turned his attention back to the station which was showing old horse racing clips. One horse in particular, a dark bay, almost black, thoroughbred seemed to be featured. "Rogue, what's wrong?" 

"Look at the dates, Bobby. The dates below the horse's name." 

"Sunday Silence, 1986 to 2002," Bobby read aloud, "Oh." 

"Ah, don't believe it. Sunday died last year, and Ah didn't find about it until today?! Boy, Ah've really been out of the loop haven't Ah?" 

"I didn't know that you were such a big horse racing fan." 

"With his crooked hind legs, he was the horse nobody wanted. But he showed em. He showed em how good he really was. And Ah guess Ah guess Ah" 

"Identified with that?" 

"Yeah, Ah guess so. He was so beautiful and full of spirit." 

"Sort of like you." 

"Bobby!" Rogue glared at him hotly for a moment, then her thoughts returned to Sunday Silence as she somberly touched the TV screen. "That, that doesn't matter. Ah can't believe he died so young. He was only 16. It's so sad, both he and Easy dying so young. And so many others, even younger. It's seems like just yesterday that Ah paid him a visit in Japan. Ah took him peppermints and carrots. He tried to bite me. It was such an enjoyable visit. Wanted to go back, do it again, someday, but" 

"Never found the time. I know how that is." 

"Yeah, it's funny how life is. Sometimes you think that you have all the time in the world when in truth" 

"You still just talking about Sunday, and not your parents?" Bobby asked, noticing that Rogue did not meet his gaze. 

"Ah, Ah don't know anymore. News like this just gives one a big ol wakeup call as to just how short life can be," Rogue sighed, then chortled sadly. "Funny, being an X-Man, and all, youd think that would be deeply ingrained into me. Weve stared death in the face, so many times." 

"Yeah, but, it doesn't get any easier. Especially, when it comes to the people and things we care about." 

Rogue nodded grimly, then reached over to the lamp closest to her bed. "G'night, Bobby." 

"Sleep tight," Bobby returned from the other bed as he clicked off the TV set. "Try not to worry too much about tomorrow, okay? Whatever happened in the past, can't hurt you anymore." 

_"Ah wish Ah could believe that. Ah really do, Bobby," _Rogue thought to herself, as she turned out the light, and huddled underneath the covers, her back to Bobby. _"But some things some demons still have the ability to hurt. Even from beyond the grave."_

**Disclaimer: **_All X-characters belong to Marvel Comics. This fan-fiction is meant as pure, harmless fun and as such no profit is being made from it._

**_Dedicated to the memory of Sunday Silence - RIP_**


End file.
